With the conclusion of the 2023 season playoffs, we are now heading into the endgame. While there are just a few days over a week remaining until the Super Bowl, NFL players will be awarded major awards even before that. On Thursday, February 8, the 13th edition of the NFL Honors, presented by Invisalign, will be broadcast right from the Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas. Viewers can tune in at 9 p.m. ET and catch the award show on CBS and the NFL Network. It will also be available to stream on Paramount and NFL+.
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Emmy-winning actor Keegan-Michael Key will host this year’s ceremony after previously hosting it in 2017 and 2022. Last year, the seven-time Emmy Award winner, Kelly Clarkson, had the honor of hosting the NFL’s most prestigious award, and it was what fans would call a ‘hoot’.
In her opening monologue, the singer didn’t pull any punches and even went on to label Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow — a TikTok Rapper, no thanks to the star QB’s all-pink pre-game fit before locking horns with Kansas City. She also declared her allegiance to the Dallas Cowboys and humorously noted her unawareness about playoff games after the Wild Card Round, a nod to the Cowboys’ playoff track record.
Kelly Clarkson showed up to the NFL Honors wearing a Cowboys gown.
“Did you all know the playoffs continue after the divisional round? I didn’t. I’m a Cowboys fan.” pic.twitter.com/I8CRKyqGDr
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 10, 2023
Aside from Keegan and Kelly, talk show host Steve Harvey, comedian and actor Rob Riggie, comedian and host Conan O’Brien, Seth Meyers, and Alec Baldwin have hosted the ‘NFL Honors’ since its inception in 2012. It’s also worth noting that the NFL and the Associated Press have already released the list of their star-studded finalists.
Comeback Player, Defensive Player of the Year Are All the Buzz for NFL Honors 2024
There are a total of eight categories of awards to be presented at the ceremony. While the MVP award is highly favored by Lamar Jackson, like his unanimous win in 2019, other notable awards like the Comeback Player of the Year Award are filled with uncertainties.
For now, Buffalo Bills’ safety Damar Hamlin tops the list, although Browns QB Joe Flacco remains a fan favorite. Even pundits feel that the veteran QB is a better contender for the award since he had a significant impact on the field, leading the Browns to the playoffs after filling for Deshaun Watson, while Hamlin barely took the field. However, the latter had significant contributions off-field, inspiring people to learn about heart attacks, which nearly took his life last season.
BREAKING: #Bill safety Damar Hamlin has been named the PFWA Comeback Player of the Year.
Hamlin has been the heavy favorite to win all season long on @BovadaOfficial. pic.twitter.com/B2DHiwF8Us
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) January 26, 2024
Another contender for the CPOY is Bucs QB Baker Mayfield, who led the team to the Divisional Round, even defeating last year’s runner-up champs, the Eagles. He even received five more votes than Flacco, for a total of 10, in a pre-award mock vote by the NFL.
According to the same predictions, Steelers LB T.J. Watt currently clinched the top spot with 11 votes, while Browns DE Myles Garrett is the close second with 9 votes, despite not only winning PFWA’s DPOY but also being a top pick among fans and pundits alike. They are followed by Cowboys star Micah Parsons (8 votes), who had his share of controversies this season. Cowboys CB DaRon Bland and Raiders DE Maxx Crosby are in fourth and fifth positions with two votes each.
